1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical connector adapter that connects optical connector plugs or an optical connector plug and an optical oscillating apparatus such as a semiconductor laser.
2. Description of the Related Art
In optical communication in which laser light oscillated from an optical oscillating apparatus such as a semiconductor laser is transmitted by using an optical fiber, an optical connector adapter that allows an optical connector plug to be removably inserted is used as a unit for connecting the optical fiber. If removal work of the optical connector plug inserted into the adapter is done while laser light being oscillated from the optical oscillating apparatus, there is a danger that eyes of an operator may be exposed to laser light leaked out from the adapter.
To avoid such a danger, an optical connector adapter including a housing formed of top/bottom walls and both sidewalls, an insertion hole cutting through the housing in a front-back direction through which an optical connector plug is removably inserted, an optical connection sleeve installed in a center portion of the insertion hole to support a ferrule of the optical connector plug, and a shutter metal fitting capable of opening/closing the insertion hole (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-20567 (JP. A)).
The shutter metal fitting is formed of a hollow fitting plate whose sectional shape is prismatic and an elastically deformable shutter plate connected to a front edge of the fitting plate. The fitting plate is fixed to the housing via an engaging piece or a stopper while surrounding external surfaces of the top/bottom walls and both sidewalls of the housing. The shutter plate is positioned on the inner side of an end of the insertion hole to shield the insertion hole while inclining toward the center portion of the insertion hole. If an optical connector plug is inserted into the insertion hole of the adapter, the shutter plate is elastically deformed by being pressed by the optical connector plug and the shutter plate falls toward the center portion of the insertion hole so that shielding of the insertion hole is released. When the optical connector plug is removed from the insertion hole, the shutter plate rises owing to an elastic force (repulsive force) thereof to shield the insertion hole again.
In an optical connector adapter disclosed by Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-20567 (JP. A), the fitting plate of the shutter metal fitting is fixed to the adapter while surrounding external surfaces of the top/bottom walls and both sidewalls of the adapter and thus, the adapter with the shutter metal fitting attached may become larger than the standard outside dimensions. While the shutter metal fitting used for the adapter is produced by press molding, the number of parts such as the engaging piece and the stopper is large and the level of difficulty of press molding is high to increase the accuracy of such parts. Further, after the shutter metal fitting is created by press molding, it is necessary to assemble into a hollow prismatic shape and thus, not only efforts and time for the assembly, but also production costs of the shutter metal fitting are needed and, as a result, unit costs of the adapter itself rise.
An object of the present invention is to provide an optical connector adapter having a fewer number of parts and a shutter member whose production is easy and for which standard outside dimensions can be adopted. Another object of the present invention is to provide an optical connector adapter having a shutter member whose mounting on the adapter is easy and which requires no effort and time for mounting and can be produced at low unit costs.